Sport Wales offer cash boosts to encourage entrepreneurship in Wales

Have you ever dreamt of being the next Sir Terry Matthews and owning your own championship golf course; the next Duncan Bannatyne and running your own chain of successful leisure facilities or have simply seen a gap in the sporting market that you would love nothing more to fill?

Well, now could be your chance.

In their mission to get every child in Wales hooked on sport for life and to create a nation of sporting champions, Sport Wales has teamed up with former Cardiff Blues and Welsh rugby international turned successful businessman, Rhys Williams, to encourage people in Wales to start thinking of sport as a business.

With up to £25,000 on offer to get projects off the ground and people into sport, Sport Wales are piloting the project within the south east of the country and are looking for innovative business ideas that will play a part in increasing sports participation within the community.

Tom Overton, Sport Wales' Regional Manager for South East Wales, said:

"From opening a new facility on your doorstep to starting up a new sports club or offering a new exercise class; we're looking for people that already have that passion for sport and that want to make it more than just a hobby.

"We want to see sport become an intrinsic part of everyday life in Wales and to do that we need to challenge ourselves to think more creatively and innovatively about how it's currently organised and delivered. Not only will this approach actively help to seek out and embrace new ways of engaging and retaining communities in sport, it will also play its part in helping to drive the economy of Wales forward."

Rhys Williams has successfully made the transition from sport to business and is keen for people to come forward with their ideas:

"Taking that first step onto the ladder and into business can be financially daunting but with the opportunity of backing and support from Sport Wales I would strongly advise anyone who has been harbouring an idea that could increase the participation of people in their community to bring it to the table.

"Anyone has the potential to be a Sport Wales entrepreneur; all it takes is determination, a passion for sport and a sustainable idea that will get people participating."

And Rebecca Hosken from Capital Gymnastics is the perfect example of how taking the plunge can work, and work well.

After she applied for a £20k investment from Sport Wales to secure and kit out a disused industrial unit near Ely Bridge in Cardiff, the club has gone from strength to strength and has increased the number of participants from 77 to over 400 in the space of just 10 months.

A new activity programme has been developed and now includes pre-school classes, which are significantly helping to reduce the numbers of children on waiting lists across Cardiff whilst getting more children involved in gymnastics; recreational and beginners classes are now being held five nights a week and over the weekend and adult classes are now also on offer.

The future is looking bright for the club and by the end of their second year they hope to have over 650 children and adults participating in the sport.

People in the community aren't the only ones being encouraged to come forward with their ideas; Sport Wales has also joined forces with three of Wales' major universities to offer their students the chance to scoop a financial award and bring their business ideas to life.

With Dragon's Den style pitches in the pipeline for later in the year, the University of Glamorgan, University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) and the University of Wales, Newport will all be given a cash pot of £5,000 to invest in those students that have a viable business idea that will increase participation in sport.

If you've got a great idea that could get Wales moving get in touch with Sport Wales' south east regional team now on 0845 045 0904.